The Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid says the president’s comment about the role his uncle, J.B Danquah, played in the establishment of the University of Ghana was only a presentation of facts.

He, therefore, finds it unfortunate that a section of the public have twisted the information to suit their agenda and cause dissatisfaction for the president.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been sternly criticised by a section of the public following an address he delivered at the launch of the Endowment Fund at the University of Ghana on Monday.

President Akufo-Addo believes his uncle must be duly acknowledged for his role in the establishment of University of Ghana

In his speech, he stated that it was the inspired, visionary leadership of Dr JB Danquah that enabled Ghanaians to reject the original decision of the colonial government, and that a single university be established in Ibadan, in Nigeria, for British West Africa.

He said it was Dr Danquah, affectionately referred to as the Doyen of Gold Coast politics, who got the colonial government to agree to the establishment of a separate university for Ghana.

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“It would be wholly appropriate and not at all farfetched to describe Joseph Boakye Danquah as the founder of this University, a fact, which, on the 70th anniversary of its existence, should be vividly recalled by all of us who are the beneficiaries of his work,” he added.

But this did not go down well with a section of the public. They saw president Akufo-Addo’s comment as an attempt to twist history in the favour of his family, following the change of the celebration of Founders Day from September 21 to August 4.

It is a move many disagreed with.

However, speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Hamid said “the president was only speaking about history and to historical facts and we should leave it at that.”

For Mr Hamid, “people are making inferences and attempting to cause unnecessary debate.”

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He explained that it was the Governing Councils of the various tertiary institutions that propose and trigger a naming or renaming of institutions and once that has not happened, no changes will be made.

He added that if the Governing Council proposes or makes a suggestion to the president, he will consider it and decide, and once a decision has been made, it will be made known to the public.